KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — Selangor is proposing a Sustainable Care Fund to provide long-term financing for care services and reduce reliance on state government grants, said state executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari.
She said the fund would help care centre operators and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) cover operational costs while encouraging investment in the care sector.
“My vision is for us to eventually have a sustainable fund. We should not depend entirely on state grants when there are numerous other funding sources we can tap into,” she said during the Selangor Care Network town hall, held in conjunction with the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
Anfaal added that stronger regulation is needed to protect care recipients, and highlighted loopholes in current legislation governing care services.
“We have a gap in legislation when it comes to care services. We need to consider how we can formulate an enactment relating to care and care services.”
She acknowledged that establishing the fund and developing dedicated legislation would take time, but stressed the need to start immediately.
Anfaal said the state is also seeking greater private sector involvement through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, sponsorships, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) contributions.
She cited a proposed RM400,000 to help vulnerable households obtain equipment such as handrails, ramps and anti-slip mats to improve safety for senior citizens and people with mobility issues.
Beyond financing, she said Selangor is working to simplify registration procedures and address regulatory barriers faced by care centres.
Anfaal noted that a special task force involving planning departments from Selangor’s 12 local councils, along with the Fire and Rescue Department, health authorities, and the Social Welfare Department (JKM), has been established to streamline the process under a proposed one-stop centre.
“We are shifting from a punitive approach towards outreach and assistance. We want to make the whole process easier and help operators meet requirements.”
Anfaal said the state also plans to introduce a Care Centre Empowerment Programme to improve operational standards and service quality, beyond just helping whitelist unregistered centres.
